The Most Important Thing
by AssortedScribbler
Summary: Life never works out quite how you plan it. Jibbs. Rated M just to be sure. Chapters rearranged to make for easier reading.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters, just the plot. Don't sue me.

**A/N: **I was having a conversation with my brother and it suddenly occurred to me that my side of the talk sounded a little like Jenny. A bit sad, I know, but the idea bit me so here I am and I hope you like it. Set sometime Season 3/4 –ish I'm not really sure, maybe the end of Season 3 pre-Jeopardy and Hiatus doesn't happen. Anyway, I really wanted to write a Christmas fic this year, I love the season, and though I had one down on paper, the bare bones of it anyway, the rest wouldn't flow. So here's this one. I know it's a bit late being posted, and that is completely my fault, I wavered over posting it at all, not sure if it was what I'd set out to write. But I thought I'd post it and see what you guys thought!

There are quite a few mentions of 'It's a Wonderful Life' – if you haven't seen that film, you need to. Not for the fic, but in general. There's some stolen dialogue from an episode I'm sure you'll recognise and some manipulated dialogue from a film called 'the Holiday'. Hope it's a hit with everyone! I hopefully made it cute but not too schmaltzy. I hope anyway, let me know what you think, whether I got the balance right. Please please please review, I love hearing from everyone. Thank you in advance!

**Summary:** Life never works out quite how you plan it. Jibbs.

**The Most Important Thing**

**A Jibbs Christmas Fic**

Christmas Eve 1981

"Where do you think we'll be in twenty years time?" A blonde haired boy asked his older sister on Christmas Eve many years ago. They were sat in his bedroom in the town house their family had lived in for too many years to count, one laying on his bed propped up on one elbow, the other curled up in the desk chair with a book resting on her knees. She'd been reading him Dickens' Christmas Carol because she loved reading aloud and he was bored. It was quite late, they'd finished dinner about an hour ago and been consigned to bed by their father so he could set things up downstairs for them tomorrow. They both knew it but were pretending not to. It made it more fun. At her brother's question, Jenny Shepard looked up from her book, red hair once more being tucked behind her ear as she slotted the bookmark into place.

"Well, you'll probably be married to a sweet young thing and have two lovely little girls with angelic curly blonde hair, just like yours." She laughed when her brother wrinkled his nose at her indulgent expression. "You'll probably be in a comfortable job somewhere that means you get to spend loads of time with your family and not be that worried about money." She guessed with a grin, looking up at her brother and meeting his green eyes that were so like hers. She hoped in her heart what she said would be true; her brother deserved a great future like that. He smirked back at her and let his head slip from his hand to fall back onto his pillow.

"And you'll be the President with only a security detail for company." He shot back, talking to the ceiling, and she rolled her eyes. "What?" He questioned lightly, turning his head just in time to catch her reaction. "You're always saying you don't want any kids and you don't want to get married." He reminded her, and she shook her head.

"I don't want to go into politics, you know that." She corrected him for one part of his statement, her eyes drifting away from her brother and looking out of the dark window. Inevitably, when the issue of family was brought up, her thoughts turned to her own and the reason she was so dead set against having one. Josh saw the far away expression on her face and knew what it meant.

"You're thinking about Mom, aren't you?" He murmured, his eyes a little sad and very perceptive. He didn't usually question her when she got that look in her eye, but he wanted her to be happy tonight so he asked in the hopes something he said would make it better. She didn't look around, just nodded, gaze focussed somewhere in the distance though he knew she wasn't really seeing anything at all, memories were what captivated her mind's eye just then. He wished he could see them too. "You miss her." He said quietly, watching the shining light in his sister's eye, and he once again was answered with a nod. "I think Dad does too." He muttered, looking away and picking at his duvet. Finally, Jenny looked around and saw the lonely expression on her brother's face and in her mind, she cursed herself for bringing up what was still a painful subject for all of them.

"Josh, I'm sorry. I wish you could have known more about her. She loved you so much." The younger boy shrugged a little, not wanting to admit it hurt that he didn't have as many memories of his mother as Jenny did. "I tell you what, instead of reading to you, how about I tell you one of my memories?" She offered, knowing that would be much more precious to her brother. She saw the way he tried to conceal how eager he was when his eyes rose to meet hers and nodded in answer, propping himself back up on his hand, elbow digging into the bed as a smile drifted across his mouth. "Well, when you were about three, I was seven, Dad had got the weekend off work and Mom decided we were going out for the day. It was November and really cold. Mom bundled you up in layer upon layer of woolly clothes while Dad wrapped so many scarves around my neck I could barely breathe." Josh laughed a bit at that and Jenny smiled, thinking of the day she was describing and imagining how happy they'd all been, even Josh, who wasn't really old enough to understand the joy of just spending time with family.

"I bet Mom ordered Dad about something awful." Her brother grinned, he'd been told many times he had his mother's domineering personality but he always thought Jenny was more bossy than he was, only no one seemed to notice when she gave orders. He'd yet to work out how she managed it.

"Oh she did." His sister assured him with a laugh. "We all piled in the car and headed off into the woods. I remember we thought we'd forgotten your waterproof boots and Dad was preparing to carry you on his back the whole way around the walk when Mom found them in the back of the car trunk. You should have seen the way your face lit up when Mom showed them to you. They were a bright plastic green with frogs on them; you'd picked them yourself, sort of. You were so cute in them!" Jenny cooed indulgently, leaning forward to swipe at her brother's cheek but he ducked out of the way before she could get to him.

"Sis! Hello, not four years old any more!" He moaned, scraping a hand down his face even though she hadn't actually got him. Jenny just laughed.

"Anyway, we tramped through the woods for ages and eventually found this gorgeous spot with a view over the hills. We stayed there for hours, playing and running about, or in your case, falling over. You were so little every tree root was a hazard." The young woman grinned at her brother, who scowled playfully back. "Mom was sat back against this tree, I think she'd been working late that week and I guess she was tired. She fell asleep leaning on the truck of that tree and Dad told me to keep an eye on her while he took you off for a forage in the undergrowth. You'd been trying to get into the bushes all afternoon, I think there were rabbits or something in there. Anyway, I was sat next to Mom, head on her lap, when she stirred and I looked up at her. In that moment I thought I'd never seen anyone so beautiful. She was smiling and looking around, obviously could hear you and Dad a way off, looking for something, and the sun caught the edge of her face. She glowed, Josh. Absolutely glowed. Then she looked down at me and ran a hand over my head. She told me then that I was more lucky than I knew and I should always be grateful to have such an amazing family. I didn't understand it then but I do now. She would have wanted me to tell you that I think."

Her voice had gotten steadily softer as she'd been speaking, the memory drawing up emotions the redhead did not usually show to many people. Jenny raised her eyes from where they'd been resting on her hands curled around her knees and regarded her brother closely. She saw him rub a hand over his face and smiled sadly, wishing she could give him the memory to watch rather than just telling her inadequate description of it.

"Hey Jen, if Mom thought families were so great and you think so too, why don't you want one?" Josh asked really low, as if he wasn't sure whether to ask her or not. The redhead opposite him diverted her gaze, once more staring out of the window. She wondered if she should answer or whether she could avoid sharing her dark musings on the subject for a while longer. But she sensed him gazing steadily at her now and knew she'd have to give some sort of answer and unlike her father, Josh always knew when she was lying.

"Because I don't want to risk hurting so many people the way Mom did when she…" Jenny couldn't finish that sentence, the pain of her mother's death still too close even though it had been three years. The daughter had been fourteen when Mrs Shepard died and it never seemed to get any easier. And Jenny hated the thought that this was her last year at home with her brother, she didn't know whether he or their father was ready for her to leave, though she knew in her heart she was more than prepared to fly the nest. It would be difficult, she knew, but she had this idea that maybe when she left, she wouldn't have to grieve so much. It was an awful thought but sometimes it got to her that the house echoed with her Mom's spirit and she knew her Dad was still wrapped up in his memories. Not that she blamed him for that, Jenny still did miss her Mom every day and she knew she loved her as Dad still did, but the young woman had also begun to feel the need to leave the past behind.

"But Jen, what if you don't have to leave your family? You'd make a great Mom, you care about everyone." Josh tried to lighten the mood with a small grin that was obviously taking some effort but Jenny appreciated it. It was an inside joke among the family that Jen was everyone's shoulder to cry on, or crutch, for all her friends and occasionally, her brother and father as well. She'd been reproved often by her teachers, and on rare occasions, her father, for caring too much about others and not enough about herself.

"Well, I'll have your two angels to look after, and my job, I dare say that won't leave me a lot of time." Jenny joked back, unfolding herself from the chair and stretching out, her back popping a bit from being curled up too long. She glanced at the clock and her eyes widened. "Crap. Dad'll be finished in a minute, I've got to get into bed. You make sure he thinks you're asleep when he comes in to check otherwise he'll know I've been in here keeping you awake." Jenny scrambled, grabbing her book and hurrying towards the door, then paused half in and half out of the room. "And Josh?" She murmured, looking down at her brother as he climbed under the covers and pulled the t-shirt he'd been wearing over his head to toss on the floor. He raised his eyes and smiled at his sister.

"Yeah?" He whispered as she flicked off the light and withdrew a little further.

"Merry Christmas." She slipped out and pulled the door almost closed behind her, before padding softly down the landing to her own bedroom door and opening it quietly just as she heard the door to the study open downstairs. She'd been right, her Dad was coming up to bed. She slid inside and pushed her door until there was only a crack of light coming through as well. There, by the door, she remained for a minute, listening for the familiar heavy footsteps of her Dad before going over into her own bed and pulling the covers over her. Just as her father's footfalls reached the top of the stairs, she heard the bell her and Josh had hung from the banister rail, between the columns there, ring out in the hushed quiet. 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings.' They'd watched the film, 'It's a Wonderful Life' earlier and it was customary for every family member as they came upstairs to ring the bell. It was that sweet chime that sent the teenage Jenny Shepard off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Christmas Eve 2007

Jenny Shepard hung the familiar bell over the same banister rail and flicked it gently, letting the sweet sound fill her up for a moment as she relived many Christmases from younger, happier days. It was early evening and Jenny was just finishing hanging up all of her Christmas decorations. Usually it would have been done about a week or two ago by Noemi, but she'd wanted to do it herself this year, because of who was coming, and NCIS had captivated most of her time in the run up to the holidays. It had been a long few weeks. But it was finally Christmas Eve and she had the company of her niece and nephew to look forward to for most of the evening. They were due any time in fact. She just wished her brother were going to be with them.

Her predication all those years ago had not been far off the mark. Josh had married a pretty young thing, Rebecca had been her name, a petite wavy haired brunette with a heart full of gold and arms open to anyone she thought of as family, which luckily for Jenny, included her. The marriage had been a wonderful success, Rebecca adored Josh and Jenny had many occasions to smile over them and their children, sometimes a little wistfully but usually just happy for them. The two had given birth to two beautiful children, Sandy and Jason, both blonde like their father and full of smiles and mischief. Jenny had cherished any time she'd spent with the family, who had held her so close to them and she loved being called 'Auntie Jenny'. Then, four years ago, on the way back from a weekend away, Josh and Rebecca had been in a car accident and both of them had died. It had been so sudden and poor Jason and Sandy had been left with only Jenny as their family. Although she'd applied for custody, because of her perilous job and circumstances, she'd been turned down and both the children had been put into foster care. She'd kept in touch though, and used whatever influence she had to find them the best home available.

The couple taking care of her niece and nephew now were good people and welcomed Jenny's contact with the two. It was down to that generous spirit that Jenny had them for Christmas Eve for the first time, to carry on the family traditions Josh had started with them, and also the ones Rebecca had. Hence the Director hanging decorations in the same places she remembered her father hanging them and pulling out every memory she had of her childhood to make sure she didn't miss anything as well as recalling anything she could about Rebecca's customs. Jenny knew it was important neither child lost that influence from their parents, no matter how difficult it had occasionally been to relive those memories again. Flicking the bell one more time for good measure, she felt a smile lift her mouth as she stepped down from her precarious position on the edge of the stairs and headed down to check over the study one more time.

There was barely a surface in her father's room that didn't have tinsel or decorations or something covering it. Everywhere glittered or shone beautifully and a grin settled itself over the redhead's face when she imagined Jason and Sandy's expressions as they came in here. Usually, the old room was quite a sombre place but in the absence of a larger room, Jenny had opted to use it for a more pleasant endeavour. It felt quite cosy in there just now, the fire crackling in the background, the Christmas tree flashing light off shiny edges in the corner, and presents of every shape and size littering the ground around it. Truly, it did look magical, if Jenny said so herself. Flicking a strand of hair over her shoulder in a satisfied way, she hurried along into the kitchen, once more checking she had what her family had asked for.

The big Christmas meal her young niece and nephew would tuck into tomorrow would not make an appearance in Jenny's house. Instead, she'd had Noemi cook loads of snack things, like mini pizzas, satays, cheese straws, mini-kebabs, so the kids could dip into whatever they fancied and not worry about eating a big meal tonight and tomorrow. She'd asked both of them what they wanted and they'd both said something like this, so she hoped they liked it. Jenny would probably be eating the leftovers for days but it was worth it. Noemi did have a tendency to cook large portions; sometimes Jen wondered if it was a way for the girl to encourage the Director to eat more. She wouldn't put it past her.

Glancing over the spread once more, she nodded, again pleased with her and Noemi's effort, before hurrying upstairs, flicking the bell again as she went to change. 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings.' The child's voice replayed in her head and she couldn't help grinning as she entered her bedroom. They would be watching that later, her and the kids, and she hoped they loved it as much as she and Josh had. She wouldn't force them to watch it if they didn't, but she did want them to like that film. She was confidant Sandy would and she suspected Jason was intelligent and unbiased enough to make the effort and see the film for it's message, that way he might enjoy it too. Throwing on the outfit she'd picked out earlier, she ran her eyes over it before sweeping her hair back into a neat ponytail. She'd told Jason and Sandy they could wear whatever they wanted and they'd both gone with opposite themes.

Sandy, who was only eight, still wanted to dress up and was coming in a new dress that she'd bought for a party earlier this month while Jason, a typical boy of thirteen, was coming in some ratty jeans and a sweat shirt. Honestly, Jenny didn't mind what they wore, as long as she got to spend time with them. But she'd then had some concern when it came to choosing her own clothes, not wanting either child to feel out of place. So she'd settled on some party trousers with a slit in either leg that ran up to her mid calf, silver edging tracing the split, while her pull-on jumper was casual enough to fit with the trousers and Jason's choice of clothes. It was one Cynthia had bought for her last Christmas actually, a dark purple v-cut that was casual, Jenny had worn it to work a couple of times but usually used it to keep warm at home. Both pieces of clothing were comfy and Jenny was happy with them.

Glancing over her outfit one more time, she nodded and headed out onto the landing. She was about to move down the stairs when she saw movement behind the curtain that shrouded the window in her front door. With a flash of a grin that was all youthful glee, she sped down to open the front door for the two people it could possibly be standing on her doorstep this evening. She could hear mumbling on the other side of the door and yanked it open with a smile of welcome. Within a few seconds, she was swamped by eager pair of small arms, accompanied by a squeal that she now realised was like Abby's when she was excited. For a second, Jenny almost wished that her family at NCIS could be here now, but she knew it wouldn't work. Her biological family was a secret she kept heavily guarded from her life at work, it was the only way to protect the kids, and she thought there would be at least one person that would be angry that she'd kept these young people hidden from him so long.

"Hey Sandy!" Jenny greeted her niece, her arms wrapping around the little body clinging to her and holding her close. For a moment, the young girl was content to stay in those arms, and Jenny was warmed by the thought that maybe she got as much comfort from her aunt as Jen did from her niece. In those few seconds, the redhead also raised her eyes to her nephew, who was standing on her doorstep with a bag slung over his shoulder, his hair quite long and curling all over the place. He was the spitting image of his father, so much so for a moment, Jenny lost the ability to breath. Then Sandy wriggled a little and Jenny had to loosen her hold, letting the girl down and directing her inside, gaze fixed on the young man stood on her front step. He seemed to sense she was startled and looked up from under the hair, a curious gleam in his eye. Jenny mentally shook herself and stood aside to let him in, but he raised an eyebrow before he would move and she smiled gently. "You look so much like your father." She murmured, reaching out a hand to ruffle her nephew's hair. He ducked away from her touch in embarrassment and slid past her into the hall where Sandy was trying to hang her coat up on a peg that was just a little too high.

Grinning, shaking off the dazed edge to her thoughts, Jenny stepped forward and took the garment from her niece to hook the loop of material by the neck over the hanger. She saw Jason do the same thing and waited for them both to be ready, taking the bag from the boy's shoulder and resting it carefully against the stairs. Then she placed a hand against both of the kid's shoulders and moved them forward, towards the study. She heard both kids' breath hitch a little as they caught sight of the grotto she'd created for them inside. Just outside the door, she gave both of them a little push and they stepped inside, eyes wide and shining. That sight alone made every thing she'd done tonight worthwhile.

"You like it?" She asked softly, as Sandy dropped down to look at the gifts cluttering the corner by the tree and examine the handmade decorations on the branches that the family had passed down through several generations. Jason was stood, looking around and admiring her handiwork. Both of them turned their heads towards her at the question and nodded in reply, before going back to taking in every inch of the room. She let them just explore for a little while, they hadn't been round to see her in weeks, what with their things at school and her impossible schedule, so this was a bit of a change. She watched them move around the room, nothing escaping their attention, and she smiled. Then she noticed Jason was staring at a picture on her mantelpiece and she moved forward, trying to see which one it was.

"Is this you and Dad?" He asked, pointing at the frame and inclining his head towards his Aunt. Jenny paused behind him and her eyes wandered over the one he indicated, her eyelids blinking a little rapidly as she first realised which one he'd picked out.

"Yes, that's your Dad and I. And your grandma and grandpa too. I was eight, maybe nine, so Josh would have been four or five. We'd just finished opening the presents and we were getting ready to go out and have a snowball fight." The older woman remembered with a sad smile, her head tilting a little to one side as it was in the photo. Jason grinned and looked up at his Aunt, mischief lighting what she could see of his expression.

"Who won?"

"Your Dad and I did. Josh was amazing at throwing; he could hit your grandma with a snowball no matter how fast she ran. I made the snowballs mostly, my throws always seem to land a few feet short of where they should have been." There was laughter behind that admission, Jenny didn't mind telling Jason how good his father had been at things like that, even if it meant exposing some her own weaknesses. Jethro always used to tease her about her aim, not with a gun, but pretty much anything else. She'd never been any good at Phys Ed.

"Aunt Jenny, are all of these for us?" A young voice with a disbelieving edge to it interrupted her memories and they both looked around to see Sandy sat on the floor, her expression alight with curiosity. Trying in vain to smother her smile, Jenny moved away towards her niece and looked down at the girl she loved so much, whom she had spoiled shamelessly this year, along with her brother. Well, she usually spoiled them shamelessly, whenever she could, but this time she got to see them as they opened the presents and could see their faces light up, hopefully.

"Well, you tell me – have you been a good girl this year?" Jenny questioned a little sternly, and Sandy nodded eagerly back, her eyes wide with the possibility that she might miss out on these gifts if she had misbehaved. "Then yes, most of them are for you. A couple are for me, from people at work, but most of them are for you two." She assented with an easy smile, pushing back the thought of 'people at work' because they had no business being included in this moment of time. Much as she may care for Abby and Ducky and the others, she was determinedly missing out one name because 'care for' was too easy to mistake for something else, she couldn't think about them now. That would start her thoughts down a road she'd already considered and dismissed for her niece and nephew's sake. Sandy's face lit up even more at Jen's answer, if it was possible, and she swept her eyes over the pile of wrapping and ribbons, but before she could ask any more, Jenny stepped in. "You guys hungry? Noemi did loads of food so I hope so!" She grinned, holding out a hand to her niece to help her up and ushering both young ones towards the door and the kitchen. They both nodded at her question and went forward together into the other room.

Jenny was just about to join them when she heard a knock at the front door. The noise stilled her instantly. No one should be here now. No one. Not wanting to scare her family, but at the same time, wanting to be careful, she slid open the drawer of the wood bureau in her hall and took out her sidearm. Hoping and praying that the other two were busy in the kitchen and were not about to return to the hallway, she advanced silently to the door and waited, to see if maybe, just maybe, she'd imagined it. A few seconds later, the knock sounded again. Cursing in her mind, she took the safety off her gun and opened the door.

Stood on her step, just under the cover of her porch, was Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Behind him, Jen realised snow was just beginning to fall and there were light brushes of the white powder on his shoulders. She wasn't conscious of her mouth parting slightly in surprise at the sight of him, nor did she realise she'd lowered her gun either. It took a few seconds, but she managed to frown and move so the rest of her hallway was blocked from sight by her body. He just watched her, didn't say anything, just kept his eyes on her and lifted a bottle of good bourbon into sight. It was an offer, she knew, and usually one she would have been loath to refuse. But how could she let him in tonight? She ignored the bottle that her eyes had sunk to rest on and lifted her gaze back to his.

"Jethro, what are you doing here?" She asked, her tone not exactly the most welcoming nor what he'd been hoping for, by the looks of it.

"I was walking around, thought I'd pay a call."

"Walking around with a bottle of bourbon?" Jen raised an eyebrow, suspicion surging through her expression and her voice. He nodded as if it was completely believable and she rolled her eyes, still keeping the door slightly more closed than she would have ordinarily which she hoped he wouldn't notice, constantly aware that any minute now one of the kids would come looking for her.

"No one should be alone on Christmas Eve, Jen." He said simply, not moving forward but not taking a step back either. She almost bit her lip; she didn't know whether to tell him she wasn't and shut the door before he could find out exactly what she meant by that, or to thank him for the offer then gently send him on his way. Neither would probably be a good option, the first because he would likely keep banging on her door until he found out exactly what she'd meant and the second because it was unlikely he'd just accept she wanted him to leave. Just as she was about to rebuff the implied suggestion and turn him away, a voice called from behind her.

"Aunt Jenny! You eating with us?" She could hear the voice approaching, it was Sandy, probably impatient to return to the study and no doubt wondering what was keeping her aunt. Jenny could feel the flush beginning in the tops of her cheeks and spreading down her neck at how easily her secret had given itself away. Without thinking, the redhead pulled away from the doorframe and turned to her niece, whose eager little face was peering around her to see who was standing on the doorstep.

"Sandy, I'll be there in a minute, ok? I've just got to-" Her head turned to the door but Jethro was already half way through it, his face a picture of confusion as he regarded the little blonde haired girl in front of his ex-lover. She threw him a glare, which he ignored, his gaze captivated by the little one in front of her. She could understand his wonder; Jenny wasn't usually one that associated with children and as far as he knew, there weren't any in her life. Seeing the way Sandy's eyes were flicking between her Aunt and the newcomer, Jenny withheld a sigh and lifted a hand towards Jethro. "Sandy, this is Jethro. We used to work together." The redhead tried for a smile but she knew it probably looked forced. But she hated this feeling of her private life being so on display, everything she'd worked so hard to keep separate turning around under her fingers.

"Used to? Jen, we still do work together. Hi Sandy, it's nice to meet you." Jethro held out a hand and shook her niece's little one, a gentleman still in some ways. In that second, Jenny knew her niece had taken to her Agent, the smile the young girl was wearing warm enough to even make Jethro smile back properly.

"Jenny? Do you want – oh. Who're you?" Jason appeared in the kitchen doorway and it didn't look like he'd heard anything up until now. Maybe that was a good thing, he was just as sharp and perceptive as his father and she knew he would read correctly into the looks that had passed between herself and her ex-partner. Out of the corner of her eye, she registered Jethro's eyebrows shoot up again at the appearance of a second young person in her house and wished he'd called any other night but this one. It seemed he got over the surprise quickly as he was soon holding out a hand towards Jason as well, not at all offended by the blunt question her nephew had posed so innocently.

"Hi, I'm Jethro." Briefly, the two shook hands and with a twinge of amusement, Jenny saw Jason give her ex-partner an obvious once-over, before Sandy stepped in.

"That's my brother, Jason. Jethro works with Aunt Jenny." Sandy informed her brother proudly, her smile clearly approving. The reaction from her niece almost prompted a smile from Jenny as well, but the impulse to get Jethro away from the kids wrestled away the curve of her lips. However, before she could step in and guide Jethro back out of the door and into the night he came from, Sandy made the suggestion Jenny had been dreading. "Are you staying? We've got loads of food." The young girl offered with a generous smile and Jenny knew before she'd even looked up to see Jethro's reaction that he'd never be able to resist those innocent, enchanting blue eyes that were so like the child's mother.

"If that's ok with Jenny, I'd love to." Jethro replied, his gaze carefully rising to meet Jenny's with trepidation coating the usually ice blue pools she'd fallen so far for. It took a few seconds for Jenny to realise she'd nodded without even thinking about it and Sandy had already taken Jethro's hand by the time her sense had caught up with her actions. Blinking, she looked around a little wildly and saw Jason closing the front door with one hand, balancing a plate in the other, the other two already entering the doorway opposite after Jethro had slipped off his coat and slung it over the stair railing.

It was all a little unbelievable. She'd never intended to let Jethro stay for even a few minutes, let alone eat with them, now she'd be lucky to get him away within an hour. But she couldn't be angry with Sandy for asking. Shaking her head, she followed Jason into the kitchen and watched with amazement as Sandy led her ex-partner around the room, filling his plate with all kinds of odd and ends, snack-wise. It was a plate full worthy of DiNozzo but somehow Jen knew Jethro would eat it all so as not to disappoint her niece. That's just who he was with kids. Dismissing the strangeness of knowing he was in her house, interacting with people he'd never known anything about before tonight as well as if he was one of them, she grabbed a plate herself and arranged a few snacks on it to make it look more full than it was, an old habit but one she still used quite often.

"Jenny, come on. There's hardly anything on there!" Jason pointed out, clearly not fooled at all by her movement of food, nudging her plate as he loaded his own up for what she thought might be a second time. She flicked a grin at him, acknowledging he was looking out for her, but she didn't want either of the other people in the room to hear him. The last thing she needed was more people worrying about her.

"Maybe you should have Sandy fix your meal for you, Jen, you might never see the plate again." Jethro joked from the table, no doubt regarding his own pile of food somewhat warily, and before she could stop the reaction, Jenny turned around in surprise. Jethro had a reputation for surliness around Christmas and she understood why, but he'd just made a joke, hadn't he? Maybe Sandy was a good influence. His amused eyes met hers and they shared a smile, warmth radiating from both of them. Then Jen ducked her eyes and looked down at her meal, which in comparison to Jethro's, did look a little pitiful. Sandy apparently took this as a hint, though Jen was sure she saw Jethro give Sandy a little push in her direction, and the young girl came bounding over, confiscating the plate from her Aunt and ducking around her to fill it. Unable to help herself, Jenny laughed and shook her head before going over and sitting at the kitchen table opposite Jethro. "I've noticed it's useless to argue. Reminds me of her Aunt." He muttered, his face down and his hands wavering over food, but she knew that was meant for her. A prod to explain while the kids were otherwise occupied.

"My brother, Josh, and his wife Rebecca, were killed in a car accident four years ago." She was murmuring, as quiet as she could in an effort to make sure her niece and nephew couldn't overhear. He looked up at the new information, his eyes full of sympathy, which surprised her though it shouldn't have. "This is the first time I've managed to get permission to let Sandy and Jason come here for Christmas Eve. Continue the traditions, you know?" She muttered quietly, picking up a kebab from his plate and nibbling off a piece of pineapple to distract him from the grief still filling her eyes at the mention of her brother and his wife. Jethro smiled a little sadly at her, then his gaze swung to the kids who were musing over what other snacks they could balance on their Aunt's plate. Although Jenny thought she maybe saw Jason flick his head slightly away from them when both adults looked round.

She hoped he hadn't heard, but if he had, that he understood and wouldn't question her in front of Sandy. She conceded he was probably mature enough now to know when to bring something like this up. She didn't want her family knowing the lengths she went to in order to protect them because Jason was more than capable of working out from that how much danger her job brought to her and Sandy might think she was ashamed of them, which she most certainly was not. She wondered also what Jethro thought of her family and whether he would figure out or accept her reasons for not telling him about them. From the soft look in his eye just then, she could hope he approved of Jason and Sandy. The rest would have to wait.

Jerked out of her thoughts by a plate being waved in front of her nose, Jenny laughed at the amount of food her niece and nephew had given her but happily set the meal down in front of her anyway, while the other two took their seats as well. The next half an hour was very pleasant, cheerful chatter not just from Sandy and jokes that had even her ex-partner, who had been nicknamed Scrooge one Christmas, laughing out loud. She couldn't have asked for a better way to spend the beginning of the evening and she could see her family was warming more to Jethro by every passing second. Even Jason seemed to be easy around him. Jenny didn't know whether that was the kids or her Agent's gift with children but she wasn't about to question it. When they'd all eaten as much as they wanted, admittedly, Jenny had had to sneak some of her food onto Jethro's plate to hide the fact she didn't finish all of it, they all sat back and the two kids looked at their Aunt expectantly. Jenny bit her lip and looked both Sandy and Jason in the eye as she explained gently,

"When your Dad and I were kids, we always used to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' on Christmas Eve. It's quite an old film, but I love it, and I was thinking maybe you'd like to watch it? Then we could open the presents." Because she was so nervous about posing this question to her niece and nephew, she missed the way Jethro's eyes lit up at the mention of the film but Sandy didn't. That, coupled with the tradition she wanted to continue, she answered for her and her brother.

"We'd love to!" There was so much eager enthusiasm in her reply that Jen was convinced she actually wanted to give the film a go, so she grinned back at Sandy and leant forward onto the table, her expression mock-stern.

"Well then, little madam, you better grab your brother and go wash the crumbs off your face! I'm not letting you on my couch until I know I won't find food all over it!" Sandy nodded and leapt down from the chair to run around the table and grab her brother's hand, pulling him out of the room. Jenny had just enough time to see the faint pink flush spreading over Jason's face at being hauled around by his little sister before he was yanked away, up the stairs to the bathroom. She couldn't keep down the smile as she lowered her eyes and picked up the plates her family had left behind, piling them on top of one another and slipping Jethro's from him as well to take over to the sink.

"Madam? Thought you hated that." He said with a slightly self-satisfied edge to his tone that he'd remembered, leaning back easily in the chair and Jenny practically felt the smug grin taking over his face at his words. She didn't turn around as she started the tap running to rinse off the china, just let her voice rise over the sound of the water.

"I hate being called it. I don't mind other people being called it. Sandy quite likes it, she thinks it makes her sound grown up." There was tender and endearing warmth in that explanation, something she knew Jethro would pick up on in a heartbeat but couldn't bring herself to stop. There was a beat of silence after she spoke, probably him smiling to himself, before she started again. The new voice that sprang from her was obviously nervous, she wasn't doing a very good job of hiding things tonight. "If you don't want to stay, if you have plans, don't feel you have to stay. I think Sandy would love it if you could, and Jason might too, but if you're needed somewhere else-"

"If you would like me to stay Jen, I have nowhere else to be. Do you?" Jenny stilled at his words, the water running uselessly onto an already rinsed plate, her mind whirling. That was loaded question. Truthfully, she did want him to stay. She realised how hypocritical that sounded, when she hadn't wanted him to stay for dinner, but she almost needed him to stay now. The kids wanted him too. That answered, the question was whether she could tell him that. Surely, for her niece and nephew, she could risk being a little open with this man, who knew her better than anyone else?

"Yes, Jethro, I would like that very much." She answered very quietly, only just being heard above the running water. She heard the scrape of his chair, signalling him rising and footfalls as he crossed the kitchen to stand behind her but at that moment, there were thumps of feet coming down the stairs and she sensed him draw away, regret and relief mixing inside her at the interruption.

"I washed up, Aunt Jenny! Sandy's just coming, I think she wet one of your towels instead of the flannel by accident." Jenny rolled her eyes a little as she could hear a grin in her nephew's voice as well as the larger thump of him jumping the last few stairs, just like Josh used to do. Leaving the dishes in the sink, Jen went out of the kitchen and leant into view of the study door which she had heard the boy dash into.

"You sure you're clean?" She called, all the time listening for signs of her niece coming down as well. She hoped the poor girl hadn't scrubbed her face too hard, she probably should have said something before they'd gone up.

"Yes, Jenny, sure. You want me to turn the TV on for the film?" Josh called back, and she could hear him moving around inside the study where she'd set up the DVD player and TV.

"Yeah, you might have to flick through the channels though, I don't know if it comes on automatically. Thanks. But don't start the movie yet, ok?" Jen received a vague grunt in reply and smiled again, before looking up at the stairs, waiting for Sandy. Then a form materialised beside her and she turned to meet Jethro's grinning eyes, both obviously amused by the same thing. "I know he's a teenager but do guys ever grow out of the grunting thing?" She murmured to her ex-partner, ducking her head away from him and returning watch to the stairs.

"Not really." He mumbled back, and they shared a laugh. Just then, her niece finally emerged from the bathroom and came to the banister. Jenny was about to call up and hurry her down when she realised what had caught Sandy's attention. It was the little bell she'd hung up just before they'd arrived. It was a pretty little silver one, with a ribbon tied in a bow around the top and a silver thread to hang it from. Her niece had probably seen it before, Josh had kept all the family Christmas decorations when he'd got married, but Sandy would have been quite young at the time she'd last seen it. Just as Jenny was about to call up, Sandy spoke in a quiet, sad voice that tore at her Aunt's heart.

"Mom used to hang this from our hallway light, so whenever the door opened, it would chime." Choked up for a moment, Jenny couldn't reply and perhaps it was a good thing as Sandy just knocked the bell slightly to one side so it would ring. Instantly, the line of the film sprang into the redhead's mind, 'Every time a bell rings…' But as she was thinking it, she became aware that it was also being said into her right ear by a low, masculine voice.

"… an angel gets it's wings." Jethro finished for her, and her head turned to regard him without any thought on her part. She almost couldn't believe that this man had watched the film they were about to see, let alone be able to quote it. It was wonderfully sweet. Unbidden, slivers of tears sprang into Jenny's eyes as she imagined where Jethro had probably watched the film before and with whom. He didn't seem to notice, just smiled at Sandy as she passed them and slipped into the study, half closing the door behind her to keep in the heat of the fire. Then he turned to her. "What miracle do you think that angel got their wings for?" Jethro asked in a light voice, one she hadn't heard in years before tonight.

"For getting you here, I think." Jenny whispered back, not meeting his eyes, her voice a little shaky from the water building up on her bottom eyelid, but nonetheless clear. Her whisper seemed to hang in the air and Jenny hoped she made the right decision saying it out loud. The moment lingered for a few seconds, Jethro didn't reply, and Jenny began to wonder whether she'd overstepped the line but then she saw him smile out of the corner of her eye, in that little way he has, and turned to look up at the banister where the little silver bell hung.

"I think they got their wings for making an old man more happy than he'd been in a long time by introducing him to that little girl." The tears spilled over at that point and Jen hurriedly pressed a finger to the corner of her eye, hoping she could avoid smudging her mascara and not make it obvious to the kids she'd been crying, it would only make them worry. He realised then what she was doing and pulled a serviette out of his pocket as he turned her to face him. She laughed gratefully though her voice caught a bit in her throat and tried to take the tissue but he avoided her hand and dabbed at the tears himself. In the close contact, as if drawn by an irresistible force, their eyes met and she caught the barely audible whisper of her name that left his lips. Jen also saw the way he leant a little closer, his face barely an inch from hers and she thought maybe, just maybe, she wasn't imagining things and he was about to kiss her. Then a giggle and soft voices a room away reawakened them to reality and they drew hurriedly apart, Jenny running a hand over her hair and Jethro clearing his throat.

"You two coming or what?" Jason called, impatience mixing with just a hint of laughter, as if he knew exactly what had been about to happen which of course she hoped he didn't. The door to the study was almost closed, how could he know? Moving towards the room she'd nicknamed 'The Grotto' this year, she tried to even out her slightly elevated breathing and push back the flush in her cheeks from such close contact with Jethro. Then she also slid into the study, knowing Jethro was only a few steps behind her. The room was suitably darkened, only the Christmas tree lights were on, so watching the film had a kind of cinematic quality. Seeing Sandy and Jason already ensconced on the sofa, she half-smiled and walked over, looking between one than the other. Her question was clear, and with a mischievous grin, Sandy jumped up and let Jen sit down before plonking herself back down on her Aunt's lap. A small "oof" escaped the redhead as the full weight of the eight year old hit her but she clutched her arms around the young girl and heaved her closer, so she could sit comfortably.

Then she noticed Jethro stood in front of the sofa, his eyes sweeping the length and after a second, she clicked what the problem was and honestly, she felt a little awkward. Though it was a three-seater sofa, Jenny didn't know whether her ex-partner would be comfortable sitting in such close quarters with one woman he'd been about to kiss but otherwise only worked with, and her nephew whom he hadn't met before tonight. Moreover, she didn't know if Jason would want Jethro next to him either. She was about to offer him her father's armchair when he turned and lowered himself down to sit on the floor by her feet, his back against the middle of the sofa and his left arm just brushing her leg. It was a great solution but couldn't have been very comfortable.

"Jethro, why don't you sit in the armchair? It can't be comfortable down there." She offered with a concerned frown, leaning around her niece to get Jethro in full view. He turned his eye so he could probably just about see her in his peripheral vision and shook his head, brushing off the discomfort with the unconcerned attitude of a Marine.

"I'm good, thanks Jen." He half-smiled at her in a little crooked way and she leant back, knowing he didn't want to be that far away from the family. He wanted to be near the kids, she could tell, just like she did. Flicking her eyes at Jason, he pressed the play button and the title screen of the DVD flickered away to start the film. The beginning music was enough to evoke wonderful memories for Jenny and she sighed softly, hitching her arms a little firmer around the blonde in her arms, breathing in the scent of the child. It was a peaceful scent, innocent and kind of outdoors-y. After a while, Jen noticed Sandy was frowning a little at the screen and she tickled the girl lightly around the ribs to get her attention. Sandy squirmed on her lap, giggling, and turned to her Aunt.

"You ok?" Jenny asked, hoping nothing was wrong.

"Why is the film black and white?" Sandy asked quietly, and though the names were still rolling on the screen, Jenny knew it wouldn't be long before the film would start so she went for the simple explanation.

"It was made a long time ago and they couldn't make colour movies back then." Instead of satisfying her niece's curiosity, it seemed she had increased it as another cute frown had taken over Sandy's little face.

"Why?" It was a question she'd asked herself at Sandy's age and had never gotten a very good answer from either of her parents. She caught Jethro flicking a smile back at her in the moment it took her to think of an answer and she suddenly thought of a compromise for placating Sandy and at the same time not lying to her.

"I don't know Sandy, but I know a young woman who works at my office who might be able to tell you. Her name's Abby, I'll take you to meet her maybe the next time I see you so you can find out, ok?" Jenny answered, a little hurriedly as she recognised the end of the titles. Her niece seemed satisfied with that offer and turned back to watch the film, eyes interested and alight. The sight of such a familiar scene back on her TV screen warmed Jenny's heart and she sank into the film. Thankfully, she noticed in the moments she returned to the present, it seemed her family and Jethro had done the same. When they reached the party scene, when George saw Mary for the first time as an adult, Jenny whispered in her niece's ear,

"That's what my Mom used to call 'thunderbolt city'." And though Sandy probably didn't fully comprehend what she meant, they both shared a giggle over the communication, and Jen thought she saw Jethro smile at them both, though his face was to the screen and she wasn't sure. As the movie progressed and the two characters were walking home in the moonlight, Jenny felt Jethro twitch a little. As George said,

"Want is it you want Mary? You want the moon? Just say the word, I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down for you." A shiver passed through the redhead sat on the couch and she knew Sandy must have felt it but the young girl was so engrossed in the film, she didn't comment. But Jethro felt it too and his hand drifted from his lap to her foot, just settled on top of it, a warm presence that made her beam a little inappropriately, and from what she could see of his face, him too. She'd always loved that line, had determined when she was still a young girl that she would only fall in love with a man who at least offered her that. And she'd stood by that – the one man she had fallen in love with had offered the moon, and the world, and everything she'd wanted. It was her who'd made the mistake in that relationship. She wondered if Jethro was thinking similar thoughts.

As Mary ran off under threat of being kissed by the man she loved, Jenny was sharply reminded of the scene earlier between her and Jethro, both in the kitchen and in the corridor outside, though admittedly, she hadn't run away. When George began to tease Mary, and contemplated the various ways he could use the advantage of her hiding in a bush with nothing to wear but the robe he was holding, Jenny couldn't help but think of the many times her and Jethro had been in similar positions, and the times they'd really pressed their advantage over the other. A quick flick of the man in question's head towards her showed he was thinking something similar and she hid her grin behind her niece's back, a particularly amusing time when she'd threatened to make copies of a compromising picture of him and spread them around NCIS occurring to her. He'd done an awful lot to persuade her out of that course of action, she remembered with a warm flush.

Throughout the rest of the film, Jethro's hand remained on her foot, a comforting weight that helped her when the film made her cry and told her he was joining in when she laughed out loud. She wasn't surprised when Sandy turned and squirreled herself into Jen's arms at George's loss of temper with both his uncle and his family, and she had to reach across a hand to lay on Jason's knee as well, because she knew that shouting reminded them of one pair of their old foster parents, despite Jenny's best attempts to help steer child services away from suspected bad families. Hugging her niece close, and applying a little pressure to her nephew's leg, she blinked away sympathetic tears because the children shouldn't see them. In that instance, she knew Jethro understood exactly what they were feeling and he turned his head slightly to share a supporting look with his friend, hoping it would help in some way. His support definitely was what she needed.

The moment passed and the movie carried on, though Sandy remained burrowed in her Aunt's arms, her head tucked into Jenny's neck and inclined towards the TV screen. Eventually, the movie wound to its wonderful ending and Jenny let the tears flow again, happy tears this time, which she had to assure her niece of when they fell onto the little girl's neck. When the end music started, Sandy shifted and slid onto the spare seat next to Jenny, her glad smile once more in place now she knew there was a happy ending. Once more, Jen tried to wipe away the tears without completely ruining her makeup and shoved herself into a standing position, while reaching for the lamp on the table beside her and switching it on. Jethro also managed to lever himself up and stretch out, with a little difficulty Jen noticed, guilt flashing inside her. Jenny turned away and took the disc out of the DVD player, clipping it back in the case and shutting the DVD drawer before standing herself, shutting off both the TV and DVD player and moving back over to the sofa.

"Ok, I'm gonna go nip upstairs then we'll open the presents, ok?" Jenny asked of the kids, and she loved how much they both brightened as she mentioned the magic word: presents. Immediately, their eyes swept over the pile under the tree and Jenny held up a pointed finger to both of them. "You are not going to look at the gift tags until I get back down. Alright?" She raised both eyebrows and her voice took on a teacher-ish tone, like her Director one but less harsh. She could see Jethro smiling to the side of her and almost rolled her eyes. When she'd extracted a promise from both Jason and Sandy not to look, she flicked a look at her ex-partner and strode out of the room, up the stairs, towards the bathroom.

Downstairs, Jethro rolled his neck a bit to relieve the stiffness from sitting on the floor too long and actually took in his surroundings, having not had chance to when the room was dark. He had to be impressed with Jen's Christmas spirit this year, it had a really warm, cared for feeling and it was obviously making the kids happy. He wondered if she had been the one to put all the decorations up this year, he knew usually it would be Noemi, but somehow he had a notion it had been Jenny herself this year, in honour of her niece and nephew.

"It looks great, doesn't it?" Sandy enthused happily, her eyes sparkling as she once more looked over the tinsel and the glitter. Jethro nodded, thinking perhaps the shining effort deserved a stronger word. After surveying the room fully, he caught sight of a picture in a corner that he thought looked familiar and went over, picking it up gently and holding it further away from his nose to see it clearly. He had been right, he used to have a copy of this picture but he'd spilt some bourbon on it a long time ago and it had been ruined. It was him and Jenny embraced in themselves as well as thick winter coats and scarves, surrounded by the crowd but really only aware of each other. It was the Christmas in London, and it had snowed beautifully the night before so they'd gone out on Christmas Day, after opening their gift from one another, and though there were a surprisingly high number of people on the London streets, they'd only had eyes for the other, the way the snow made patterns on their coats and clung in their hair. Then, later that month, they'd gone to see the firework display on New Year's Eve and it had been amazing just to watch Jenny's face light up with all those different colours as her delight peaked at each new flash. He'd barely seen half the display for watching her.

"Which photo is that?" Jason asked from the sofa, and as Jethro turned to the kids, he realised he was smiling quite widely.

"It's one of your Aunt and I in London. It snowed that year, we went out and walked in it. Then, for New Years, we went to watch the fireworks near Big Ben." He told them, the memory of those nights spent in England washing around him with a surprising energy. Jason's eyes seemed to linger on Jethro, obviously wondering why his voice was softer than it had been all night, but Sandy was leaning her head back on the sofa back and smiling dreamily. Then, as if an idea occurred to her, her head flashed up and she turned her piercing blue gaze straight onto Jethro.

"Jethro, do you like Aunt Jenny?" The simplicity of the question made the man to whom it was asked laugh. He loved that in a child's mind, that's all a question like that needed. No ploys, no manipulation, no pushing for information, just honesty and a simple yes or no. He put the photograph back where it came from, contemplating what he should say, before going back over to the sofa and sitting where Jenny had been so he could lower his voice to talk to Sandy.

"Can you keep a secret?" He asked, his eyes bright as he leant forward and the little girl nodded eagerly, so he leant his head slightly to the right to assess Jason and ask him the same question. Jason also dipped his head in assent, though Jethro could tell he wasn't quite so comfortable with it as his sister. Having gotten the assurance he needed, he focussed his attention on Sandy and met her eyes. "Yes, actually Sandy, I like your Aunt a lot." The look of glee that crossed the girl's face was ever so cute and she clapped her hands together excitedly before Jethro hushed her, motioning his eyes towards the ceiling to indicate the redhead upstairs. Sandy nodded understandingly, and then frowned as a new thought obviously occurred to her.

"But Aunt Jenny's always said she doesn't want to get married or have children. She told us." Jethro's expression quite quickly formed a frown upon receiving that information and was about to question it's validity when Jason leant to one side and nodded in agreement with his sister.

"Dad told me she used to say that, ever since she was about sixteen. I asked her about it once, she said me and Sandy were the only kids she ever wanted." The raised eyebrow questioned the truth of Jason's assertion but in his mind, Jethro knew it was right. It sounded like Jenny somehow. Lowering his eyes, he thought about it and what it would mean if he and Jen did decide to start things again. In the long run, it didn't mean anything. He'd never planned to have any more children and marriage was never a good idea with him anyway. Maybe it was even a good thing, though Jethro didn't feel like it was. How could someone so young decide that huge a choice so early in her life? But, as he'd said, it sounded like Jenny.

"Well, I think she'd make a great Mom as well as an Auntie. And I think she likes you too. I'd like a cousin." Sandy said quietly, after thinking a while Jethro would guess. It made him smile, the contemplation and honesty in the little girl's opinion. He was about to agree with her when he heard light footsteps coming back down the stairs and all eyes went to the door as they heard Jenny coming. In the back of his mind, Jethro realised they all looked guilty and hurriedly tried to find something else to talk about before the redhead returned so they wouldn't look as suspicious. He also heard Jenny humming the tune from the music in the film they'd just watched and felt a smile on his lips before he thought about putting one there. Luckily for them, when she came in, she was too distracted by a piece of ribbon that had come unstuck from around the doorframe to realise how deer-in-the-headlights they all looked. When she'd finished adjusting the material, the kids were already on the floor and eyeing various different shaped and sized packages with a glint in their eyes.

"Alright, who wants to open first?" Of course, Sandy volunteered and Jason let her, thus starting what was possibly the best hour Jen had ever spent in her study. The kids opened one present at a time, taking goes to open and occasionally passing one to Jenny. So far she'd got a mug with 'Madame Director' on it from an anonymous source she suspected was Tony, a set of her favourite bath salts from Ziva, the most unusual jewellery she knew was from Abby, which she found herself admiring in a strange way. Cynthia's was the sweetest, a voucher from her favourite florist and a couple of bars of her secret indulgence, the finest dark chocolate. Just the knowledge some was in the room was making her a little hungry. But she appreciated every present for the thought that had gone into them and the time. She barely even felt a pang of disappointment as she was once more reminded Jethro had not given her a present or any indication that he was going to. She hadn't really expected one but still.

Half way through, Jason got a sharp nudge in the stomach from Sandy, who jerked her head towards the door and he jumped up, running out of the room and returning with a red and green parcel with a tag Sandy had written herself. It turned out to be a bag of her favourite coffee blend and handmade card from them both. Jenny couldn't have gotten a better gift. She put the card in pride of place on her desk and put the coffee down on the table by the sofa, enthusiastically telling them she would go make a cup in a minute. She could feel Jethro's eyes on her the entire time, and wondered what he was seeing. She felt like she was shining with happiness, almost all of the presents went down brilliantly, which was a real boost to her confidence that she did know the kids she loved so much. The truth was Jethro was watching Jen intently as she positively sparkled with life, the joyous expressions of her niece and nephew as they opened their gifts making her glow as she'd once described her mother doing.

As they were nearing the bottom of the pile, Sandy suddenly sat back on her heels and looked around at her Aunt and Jethro sat comfortably at ease with each other on the couch and there was a concentrated expression on her face. Jenny didn't have time to wonder what was about to be asked before Sandy had started talking.

"Jethro, you haven't opened any presents! Well, we didn't know you were coming so we couldn't get you anything but everyone should open something. Do you want one of mine?" She asked, holding up what Jen suspected was Sandy's new DVD box set of a TV series she'd really enjoyed earlier this year. A series that Jethro would probably not enjoy at all. She could see Jethro was about to explain all his presents were at home, waiting for tomorrow, which still would not stop Sandy from offering her present, when Jen intervened.

"That's ok Sandy, I think we can find him something to open." She said mysteriously, before getting up and going around her desk to open the top drawer. She'd been planning to give it to him when they got back, but now was just as good a time. Slipping the dark-blue wrapped package out and sliding the drawer shut, she went back and stood next to the sofa, handing it to him a little shyly. She was blushing as well, because she had no idea whether he'd been planning to get her anything and she didn't really want anything from him if he hadn't, but she'd put a lot of thought and effort into her gift and it would be easily detectable when he opened it. He didn't seem uncomfortable, just smiled thoughtfully and turned over the gift tag. "Merry Christmas Jethro. Hope you find a place for this somewhere. Jenny x"

The message made him smile even more, Jenny saw with some pleasure, and he quirked an eyebrow at the intriguing wording and at the last little letter on the end, maybe wondering if she would make good on what the 'x' indicated. Turning the package over, he peeled open one end and slid out what looked like a book, but with very thick paper. After examining the cover for a short time, trying to figure out what it was, he looked up at Jen, frowning.

"Take a look inside Jethro." She told him calmly, smiling hesitantly almost. He opened it and found a photograph of the whole team, including her, from the Hallowe'en party this year, dressed up to the nines in ridiculous costumes and having a marvellous time. She noted with a swell of gladness that he grinned unconsciously at the gleeful faces before him. DiNozzo, in the middle of course, had put two bunny ears above Ziva's head. Abby who was squatted next to Tim at the front, had done the same to McGee. Jethro was stood next to his senior field Agent, Jenny next to him and he noticed his own eyes were glancing at Jenny as she glanced back, a shared laugh over the antics of the others. Ducky was leaning into the photo as well next to Ziva, his arm very gentlemanly on Abby's shoulder and smiling in a knowing way at everyone.

It was a glorious picture of a very happy time and had been chosen very carefully. Jenny had wanted only happy memories in this album, to remind him in the darker moments of the good people and times in his life. And from what she could read from him now, there was a small hope in her heart that she had succeeded. She watched as his eyes rose and read the title above the photo, "Family" and he nodded, before looking up at Jen with sapphire pools that spoke so eloquently of gratitude and were shining just slightly, that Jen caught her breath.

"Thanks Jen." He said, his voice a little more thick than usual and she smiled back, understanding in her eyes.

"Have a look through the others, there's some interesting ones." She said with a laugh, remembering some rather strange ones of Tony in odd poses and the few ones of Jethro with people around him at various functions he'd been dragged to, sometimes with the team or just one or two of them. Turning back to Sandy and Jason, she grinned at them both and pointed out the next ones for them to open. She watched as they eagerly pulled towards them the presents she'd indicated, then sat down on the sofa next to her ex-partner and felt her happiness fire up even more as Sandy let out a little squeak upon realising her gift was a book she'd been trying to get hold of for months but every shop she went to had been sold out. She also couldn't help laughing as Jason delightedly held up a band hoodie he'd mentioned he liked weeks ago. She could see Jethro, out of the corner of her eye, flicking through the album and she hoped he liked it. She thought he did. In a lull a few minutes later, Jethro put a hand on her knee and her breathing hitched again. Disguising it by turning and smiling, she met his eyes.

"There's no page for you." He pointed out in a very low voice, keeping an eye on the kids as Sandy flicked through her book and Jason pulled on the hoodie. Jenny coloured slightly that he'd realised but nodded, also switching her eyes to the kids as she spoke softly,

"I didn't know if there should be one." The album had a few pages of group photos, even going back as far as before her time, with Kate Todd. She'd done a lot of scrounging photos this last month. Then she'd divided the rest of the pages up to individual people, leaving a few blank at the end so he could add more if he wanted. She hadn't been sure whether to put herself in there, but the way his voice had sounded almost disappointed seemed an encouraging sign.

"There should. You got any photos that could go in here?" He asked, low again, knowing it wouldn't be long before her niece and nephew would be turning to their Aunt for direction about presents again. He also thought about but didn't admit that he had a secret stash of old photos in his basement that he could add as well. Jenny turned and caught his eye, far too touched that he wanted to put her in there with the people he cared about the most. She nodded.

"I'll find some. I could add them later." She knew he would understand that she meant after the kids were gone, for now, she wanted to enjoy having them here and seeing them have fun in her house and repeat traditions she'd played a part in. He briefly squeezed her knee in acknowledgement that he knew what she had said and then lifted his hand away. Even as her attention switched once more to the boy and girl on her carpet, she felt a certain measure of loss at not having the warm weight of his hand against her anymore. The rest of the evening carried on in much the same vein, though towards the end, when Sandy had opened all of her presents (somehow Jason had skipped a few goes, Jenny suspected so his sister could keep opening the ones she wanted) she went over and slid onto her Aunt's lap again, curling up and putting her arms around the older woman, her eyes telling just how sleepy she was getting.

As Jason opened his last present, Sandy twitched a little in Jenny's arms and, when her Aunt looked down to ask what was wrong, found her fast asleep. That was the signal Jenny should probably be getting both kids home. Jason had a look over the autobiography of his favourite drummer then he looked up to thank his Aunt and saw the light in her eyes. He knew what it meant. Standing, he headed out to fetch his bag to put the gifts in and after a final dip into the food in the kitchen, Jason collected up the presents and put them in either the bag he'd brought or the ones Jen told him where to find and Jethro retrieved for him to help carry them. His Aunt would have liked to help tidy up but Sandy was still asleep and she didn't want to wake her, though Jethro did a wonderful job of aiding Jason in her stead for which she was grateful. There was something so wonderfully calming and comforting about that weight on her lap and she didn't want to give it up just yet. When everything was collected and put in bags, Jenny sighed and looked reluctantly down at the sleeping girl. Just as she was about to wake her, Jen felt a hand on hers and looked up into Jethro's warm eyes.

"I'll take her Jen. Then you don't have to wake her." His voice was soft, so as not to stir the child and she nodded gratefully, raising her arms so Jethro could slip his around Sandy in the right place to lift her. After a few moments of preparing and adjusting, Jethro straightened with Sandy in his arms, secure and safe. Dusting herself off, Jenny stood as well and took a couple of the bags Jason had been carrying as she led the way towards the front door. Grabbing her keys from the sideboard, she opened the oak entrance and let the others out before locking the door behind them. She noticed in the brief moment she surveyed the street before turning that it had stopped snowing but there were still traces covering the ground. Over her shoulder, she pressed the remote unlock and when she faced the car, Jason had already opened the back door and Jethro was placing her niece ever so gently into the seat there, fastening the seatbelt across her. The tenderness in the movement choked Jenny up for a second, but she was soon moving around to slip into the driver's seat and Jason slid into the back along with his sister. As she put the key in the ignition, it occurred to Jenny that Jethro might not want to join them for the drive, in fact, he might want to go home, but she wasn't surprised when he opened the passenger side door and took the seat next to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Christmas Eve 2007 Continued

_"I'll take her Jen. Then you don't have to wake her." His voice was soft, so as not to stir the child and she nodded gratefully, raising her arms so Jethro could slip his around Sandy in the right place to lift her. After a few moments of preparing and adjusting, Jethro straightened with Sandy in his arms, secure and safe. Dusting herself off, Jenny stood as well and took a couple of the bags Jason had been carrying as she led the way towards the front door. Grabbing her keys from the sideboard, she opened the oak entrance and let the others out before locking the door behind them. She noticed in the brief moment she surveyed the street before turning that it had stopped snowing but there were still traces covering the ground. Over her shoulder, she pressed the remote unlock and when she faced the car, Jason had already opened the back door and Jethro was placing her niece ever so gently into the seat there, fastening the seatbelt across her. The tenderness in the movement choked Jenny up for a second, but she was soon moving around to slip into the driver's seat and Jason slid into the back along with his sister. As she put the key in the ignition, it occurred to Jenny that Jethro might not want to join them for the drive, in fact, he might want to go home, but she wasn't surprised when he opened the passenger side door and took the seat next to her._

The drive was a short one, though there was a heavy silence in the car that always fell at the end of an evening with her and in a way, Jenny was almost glad they were soon pulling up outside Sandy and Jason's foster parents' house. It was a cheery building, Christmas lights decorating the outside and lighting the windows along with the dusting of snow that looked like icing sugar all over the roofs. Quickly getting out, she opened Jason's door for him and saw with a sigh the slightly dampened spirits in the boy's eyes. She wished the kids could stay with her; not that these people weren't nice and good, but Jason knew the difference between them and family and soon, Sandy would too. It made it hard to leave them. Briefly pressing a hand to Jason's shoulder, she caught the look he aimed at her, telling her it was ok, but she still gave him an apologetic smile. Taking her nephew round the car, she watched Jethro raise Sandy back up into his arms. It was a miracle she hadn't woken up yet; maybe she was more tired than she looked. Keeping her head on Jason's shoulder, they approached the front door together and Jenny pressed the button for the bell.

Within a few seconds, the door was open and Beth was welcoming them inside, with a cheery smile and a welcoming arm. Beth was a wonderful woman, warm, affectionate, just the right side of plump and always smiling. Her husband, Matthew, was a sensible man, rather different from his wife in that he had quite a serious disposition but he was no less caring. Jenny explained quietly to Beth that it was probably best to take Sandy straight up to bed and she gladly motioned them towards the stairs, though her eyes lingered of Jethro because he was unfamiliar and Jen felt the question in Beth's look as she watched Jethro follow Jason upstairs.

"Beth, where would you like me to put these?" She'd discussed letting the kids open their presents from her in her house with Beth and Matt beforehand and Jenny was grateful they'd understood why she'd asked and allowed her that. Beth took the bags Jason had left at the bottom of the stairs and led her into the huge living room, standing the presents near the Christmas tree, which was very bright and full of colour. Once they were out of earshot, Beth grinned excitedly and leaned towards Jenny conspiratorially,

"So, who's the hunk?" Thinking about it, Jen should have expected the question to be phrased like that, Beth did not mince words, but she still did a double take. Her raised eyebrows and disbelieving expression expressed the 'Pardon?' she would have voiced but Beth carried on before she could speak. "Come on Jenny, he is. Where have you been hiding him?" The mistake was natural, the redhead supposed, that her and Jethro were an item, to Beth's mind why else would he be here right now? She knew Beth wouldn't believe her if she tried to explain what actually happened so she just blushed and looked away, hoping that would count as an answer. The knowing smirk Beth expressed that was quite friendly, almost mutual appreciation, spoke of satisfied curiosity and Jen thanked the Lord she wasn't going to be grilled. Just then, she heard the footsteps returning downstairs that she knew so well and looked towards the door, instinctively moving towards them. Jethro was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, a warmth battling a sadness in his eyes as he looking longingly upstairs. Jenny understood that feeling all too well.

"Jethro, are you ok here for a minute? I just want to say goodnight." She told him, a similar look to his already in her eyes. When she received his nod, she ventured past him and up the stairs, wondering briefly whether leaving Beth with the information she'd just given her in the same room as Jethro was a good idea but didn't have time to contemplate before she reached Jason's bedroom. It was blue with planets and spaceships all around the walls. He kept complaining that he was too old for it but secretly, Jen thought he was rather partial to the lurid prints. He was already in bed, leaning up against the headboard and Jen smiled as she realised his head was also nodding a little too.

"Hey." She greeted him softly, going over and perching on the edge of his mattress. He smiled half-heartedly at her and guilt flared a little inside her. "Jason, I'm sorry you can't stay with me. I wish you could. But Beth and Matt – they're nice, right?" She waited for his nod before continuing. "You'll have fun tomorrow with them, Christmas all over again! And Christmas dinner as well." The mention of food perked him up for a minute, but not long. "I am sorry." She repeated very quietly and he looked up, probably seeing the shame in his Aunt's eyes before he leant forward and drew her into a hug. For a moment, Jenny was glad and hugged him back, then he slid away and down under his duvet, pulling his pillow down to an angle as he determined shut his eyes. Withholding a regretful sigh, the redhead stood and crept out of the room, flicking off the light as she went. Next door, Sandy's door was ajar and Jenny had to squeeze by because she knew from past experience the door creaked very loudly. In the dark, she made her way carefully over to Sandy's pink bedspread and could just make out the face surrounded by curling blonde hair on the pillow.

"Goodnight Sandy." Her Aunt whispered softly, leaning over the girl and pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "I love you." It could barely be heard, but she knew Sandy understood, even if she wasn't aware of it. Gently pressing a hand against the soft hair, she nuzzled her forehead against Sandy's then withdrew, once more getting through the door with difficulty and heading back downstairs. She was too far into her own thoughts to listen in on whatever conversation Beth had been having with Jethro but they both stopped abruptly as she reached the last few stairs. She flicked a look between both of them than continued past them both to the door.

"Are you going already Jenny? I thought you two could have some eggnog with me." The offer was genuine but Jenny didn't feel like eggnog just then. She shook her head in a regretful way and jerked her head towards Jethro, as if blaming him. She felt he understood why she was refusing and perhaps wouldn't mind the implication. With widening eyes, Beth nodded back and let them go. A sinking feeling in Jen's gut told her Beth had leaped to the wrong conclusion but didn't want to correct her just now. She wanted to go home and try not to feel guilty that she hadn't been able to take her niece and nephew into her home permanently. She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't register a light hand at the small of her back, guiding her out of the door and towards the car, nor did she hear the door close behind them. Just as she was about to split from Jethro's side to go to the driver's side door, he took her hand and opened it to remove the keys from her possession. She went to object but he gave her a look straight in the eye that told her it was useless and she let him, going to the passenger door and shaking her head a little in amusement and exasperation while trying to ignore the way her skin was tingling from his touch.

They settled into their seats in the car and Jethro pulled them out of the drive way and onto the road. Jenny barely had time to wonder if he knew the way before he made the right turn and set off back to Jenny's house without a word. She leant her head back, suddenly feeling drained and let her eyes drift closed, wishing the ache in her heart would let up just a bit. She sensed Jethro's eyes on her every so often, short glances while he could take his eyes off the road and she couldn't work up the effort to put up a good front. She realised at that moment she didn't need to. She was with one of the few people she knew who could understand her pain in some way and that comforted her. She let the night play over in her mind, holding Sandy, talking to Jason, being close to Jethro, she could say with all honesty it was possibly the best night she'd spent in a very long time.

"You ok?" A gentle, masculine voice broke in on her thoughts, and she sighed quietly, figuring that he'd been quite restrained not asking earlier. She'd been quiet and had her eyes closed for a while.

"How'd you know I wasn't asleep?" She avoided the question, he had to know the answer anyway. Cracking open an eye, she peered at him, hoping for some sort of joke or quip rather than a genuine enquiry because she didn't particularly want to tell him she felt like crying and didn't think he'd want to hear it either. He wasn't known for his way with crying women.

"Your breathing wasn't deep enough." He replied, eyes on the road to hide what she suspected would be a warm light in them if she could see it. The answer touched her a little, that he could still tell that much about her. Of course, he could have been guessing, just come up with the answer because it was kinder, but she wanted to believe he was telling her the truth. She opened her other eye and turned her head towards him, a raised eyebrow probably just visible to him. She caught a fleeting smile at her reaction and returned the movement, her own gaze flooding with warmth. Then he quickly turned his head and looked her directly in the eye, his question repeating itself wordlessly. It seemed she wasn't going to be able to run away tonight.

"No, Jethro, I'm not." She answered very quietly, looking down at her lap as her hands twisted guiltily, and she noticed they looked quite pale in the little light available.

"Jen, those kids had a great time tonight. You saw Sandy's face when she opened those gifts, and Jason's too. You shouldn't feel guilty for that." She appreciated the effort he went to in order to reassure her but although she had made them happy tonight, what about all those other times she'd failed them? Had to rearrange seeing them because of something unavoidable at work or been interrupted because of an urgent call that couldn't wait? Their disappointment sometimes made her wonder if she should just quit her job, she could maybe afford it, then she could take the kids and give them the home they deserved. Maybe it would be worth giving up the job she loved for the people she loved.

"But I do feel guilty Jethro. Every time I leave them. They shouldn't be in the system. They should be with me and I failed them." Her voice caught several times in that speech, she knew it but couldn't stop it, her head dropping even further so there was no chance he could find her eyes. She was glad they weren't having this conversation face to face, then she didn't think she could have held it together, because speaking to her lap was so much easier than talking to his knowing eyes. Then, quite abruptly, the car swung to the right and pulled up on the curb, slowing rapidly to a stop and Jen was very glad there weren't any other cars on the road just then. Having had to fling a hand out to steady herself against the door and the dashboard, she flashed a questioning look to Jethro, only to find him staring at her with such an intensity she couldn't look away.

"Jen, listen to me." He said, his voice steady but Jenny thought she might just detect a faint shiver in his tone as well. She nodded but remained looking down at her hands, until his hand came out of nowhere and tucked underneath her chin, bringing her face up and around to see him. "Jenny. Please look at me." At that word, the one he never said, she had to look up and their eyes met again with that undeniable force. She felt her breath pause in her throat when she saw the pain in his eyes. "I know nothing I say is going to make much of a difference. You've had to live with that guilt too long by yourself. But you've still got that little girl and boy depending on you, the only connection they have left to their parents is through you. And besides that, they love you Jenny.

"You still have so much time to spend with them, you'll be part of their lives for the rest of yours and they will depend on you for so many things. They love spending time with you, they love you nearly as much as a mother and there is nothing wrong with that. You have such a lot of love to give Jenny, and you give it all to those kids, and they know that. They understand more than you think. Be happy that you have them Jenny, don't mourn for what you don't have." The roughness in his voice drew tears into both pairs of eyes, shining emerald and flashing sapphire, and she tried to swallow as the first watery trail leaked down her cheek. His mouth was twisted, blending his pain and hers into one expression and she wished she'd not let him shoulder her burden along with the ones he already carried but thought perhaps she couldn't have stopped him. Her mouth opened to draw breath and a sob escaped her, unable to be contained any longer, which prompted him to slide his hand back from her chin to the base of her head, drawing her forward to his chest and wrapping his other arm around her. She clung to his shirt, her tears seeping into the material as she pressed her face into him, a little comfort gained from his strength as everything she hadn't dealt with about Sandy and Jason came flooding into her mind.

She could feel her body shaking from the sobs, her cheeks wet with tears and her hands winding tightly into his clothing. He didn't seem to mind, just pulled her closer and leant his face against the top of her head, his warm breath spreading across her hair and providing another sense of comfort. Images flashed through her mind, the day Jason was born, the day Sandy was born, the evening she found out her brother wasn't coming home, the funeral she'd had to take her family to, the morning she received the news she'd been rejected as a possible adoption parent, seeing Jethro with Zach Wilder and wondering what might have been, the night he'd come round and asked her why she'd never had kids but she hadn't answered, the first time she'd gotten to take Sandy and Jason out for a whole day, this evening and every single wonderful moment it held. She knew she was incredibly lucky still, her mother had been right all those years ago, and Jethro was right as well. She should be grateful for what she had instead of wasting time with grief over lost opportunities. And there was no reason why in a few years time she wouldn't be able to apply again for foster parent status, maybe with a cut to her hours and the possibility of Jethro back in her life, as a friend or more, she could get Sandy and Jason permanently.

Eventually, her crying petered out and she released Jethro's shirt as he withdrew his arms, though he held the tops of her shoulder briefly so she would stay in one place. She looked up at his eyes for an answer about why and he leant forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Jenny felt her heart beat falter at the touch. It was so warm, so soothing, so consoling that any remaining tears dried up instantly. Then he drew back and refocused on the road, shifting the car into gear and steering away from the curb with a light, very slight smile. She could still feel his lips on her head as she turned to watch the street too and her smile was a little more visible than his.

Within a few minutes, she saw the end of her street and soon her house was before them. He parked and undid his seatbelt as she did the same, but just as she was about to get out, he caught her hand and brought it to his lips briefly, as if saying without words 'I'm treasuring you'. Jenny could feel heat suffuse her face at the affectionate gesture and smiled at his bright eyes, before slipping out of the car and walking up to her front door, though she nearly tripped over the front step as her legs had gone a little weak on her. She heard him following and let them both in, shrugging off her coat and taking his to hang up. It was as natural as if they had done it a hundred times before and made Jen wonder how long he was going to stay or whether she's right that he intends to finally have the conversation they were way past due for.

She led him down the hall, back into the Grotto and bent down to stoke up the fire, chucking a couple more logs on to fuel it. She wasn't aware that Jethro had not sat down until she leant back and felt his legs behind her. Flushing slightly again, she stood and turned to him, ready to have the conversation she knew was inevitable. His eyes were burning in the firelight, his pupils wide and staring right into her own. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and leant against the mantelpiece, waiting for the questions to start. It didn't take him long to choose his first one, though she suspected that it wasn't his most pressing one.

"Why didn't you tell me, Jen? About your brother, and Sandy and Jason." There wasn't any accusation in his voice, which surprised her and she suspected that maybe the indignation at her not sharing that piece of information had dulled somewhat upon meeting the kids. She even thought he might have a few reasons he'd come up with himself for why she'd kept the two such a secret. She pressed her palms together, feeling the warmth of the fire begin to heat her legs and tried to find the most honest answer to his question as she could, drawing on the strength of personality she'd learnt from him when dealing with uneasy situations.

"Because I was and still am afraid what might happen if someone from the Agency knew about them. I'm afraid of what someone from my world might do to our world. I don't talk much about work, my time with them is all about them, and I've always worried that perhaps if they did meet someone from NCIS who wasn't ready or tried to use the information later on, they'd get hurt somehow. It's a sort of maternal instinct, I think." She looked up with a smile that was also a frown at the admission and watched for his reaction. Surprisingly, she saw no annoyance at all, in fact, he nodded understandingly and accepted her explanation without reprove. She watched his eyes travel around the room, contemplating his next question, then his blue orbs settled on a corner of the room and it seemed a thought occurred to him. Even when Jenny wracked her mind, she couldn't remember what she'd placed on that particular table though it must have been something important. However, when he speaks, she doesn't think it's about what caught his attention in the corner.

"They're two great kids. Jason's going to either grow up into Abby or McGee." Jenny smiled, thinking she heard a laugh behind the statement and when she found his eyes, she knew she'd been right. "I think Sandy might be like Kate one day. She had great instincts about people, bright, caring, open hearted." It was the first time Jethro had ever mentioned Agent Todd to her and she was grateful for the insight. Abby had told her a lot of things about the woman she'd never gotten the chance to meet and everything she'd been told was good. She wished she'd met Kate Todd. Abby had told her many times they would have gotten along really well, after they'd taken stock of one another. The way Jethro's eyes warmed with the mention of the former Agent's name was enough to tell Jenny the praise Abby heaped on her friend was well deserved. She let her gaze speak for her, the regret that she'd never met Kate, the wish that she had, and the nod of her friend's reply meant he'd understood.

"Sandy's a lot like her mother, Rebecca. All the qualities you described. But she's got a little of her father's stubbornness as well." Jenny added with a sad smile. Thinking of Josh still tapped into her grief. There wouldn't be a day when she wouldn't miss her brother. "Though I can't imagine her taking to any stranger better than she did to you. In fact, I can't imagine anyone being a bigger hit with my niece and nephew. Even Jason approved and took to you, that's an not easy thing to do." Jenny told him, and he laughed, nodding in what she suspected might be agreement, as if he already knew exactly the sort of kid Jason was and he liked him. The thought again made her consider maybe that Jethro would want to see them again, there was a chance that he would become a permanent influence on their lives. "I guess I'd forgotten that." She whispered, looking down again and her fingers twiddling with the edge of a stocking hanging from the top of the fireplace, her eyes disengaging from this present time and looking back into the past, memories of Zach and kids they'd interacted with when she'd been an Agent dancing in her mind's eye.

"What?" He asked, moving closer and alighting a hand on the top of her arm then sliding it down to catch hold of her fingers, bringing her back to this time with him and her, and a low firelight. She redirected her gaze back up to his face, a small smile lifting one half of her mouth as her thoughts filled her with feelings that had never gone away.

"How good you are with kids." Her tone was soft, sensual almost and she watched his eyes dip a shade darker in the firelight. He smiled a little self-consciously at the compliment and tipped his head to regard her closely. She had to wonder what he was looking for. His thumb was smoothing over the top of her hand, his fingers warm against her palm and the gentle contact almost made her close her eyes in bliss. Then he took another step closer, pushing the space between them to miniscule and he reached up a hand to cup her cheek. The atmosphere was heady with anticipation but he held off just long enough to speak.

"You're good with them too Jenny." The way he drew out her name, the rough timbre in his voice rushing through her body as it remembered what that signalled, made her bite her lip a little. His eyes drifted from hers to her mouth and she released her bottom lip, hot breath spilling from her mouth and mingling with his. He took one last second to smile at her, his thumb brushing over her face before inclining his head and pressing his mouth to hers. A flash instantly surged through her, one that was familiar yet even stronger than she remembered and she returned the pressure, her free hand sliding behind his neck and pulling him further down to her. There was passion in that kiss, heat, just enough to make her yearn for more and when he asked, she granted him access to her mouth. He explored her gently, but with an edge of hunger and she submitted, her fingers kneading his scalp and neck in return. After a few seconds, they had to draw away and breathe, but it wasn't a moment later his mouth was back on hers, nipping at her lips and pushing against her mouth. It was pleasure such as Jenny had never felt before, an incredible release of pressure and feeling, as if the last seven years just been building up the anticipation of them once more joining together. Perhaps that's exactly what they had been.

Again, they had to part for air and Jethro used the hand on her face to draw her away from the fire, towards the couch. She followed, letting him guide her down to sit beside him before he kissed her again. This time the moment stretched out, seeming to last for years, and she disengaged her hand from his to wrap both arms around his shoulders. As he reluctantly parted from her mouth and trailed kisses and light nips at her skin down her neck, her thoughts whirled, stilling only for a moment when he applied a butterfly kiss to that one spot that made her stop breathing.

"Jen," he muttered into her ear, his breath hot and his voice very gruff, hoarse maybe, and she nodded, lost in the sensations of his mouth on her. "You remember that Christmas we spent in London?" He asked, light fingers skimming beneath her purple top and up her back, as if dancing across her skin. Feeling like a light flicked on, Jenny remembered which picture she'd put in the corner of the room, the one he'd obviously noticed and she smiled.

"Yes, Jethro, I remember." She told him, her own voice husky and full of undisguised want, the nights and days they spent in England's capital flooding through her mind, very similar to the one she suspected they were about to share now.

"Can I have a copy of that picture?" Jenny couldn't help laughing out loud at that and he drew back, eyes meeting her questioningly. Jenny could feel warmth, longing, love, running through her veins and shining in her eyes when she admitted in a low voice, with a nod to answer his request.

"That was always my favourite Christmas." Clearly he agreed with her, as he immediately moved back and pressed his lips to hers once more, pushing her back to lie on the sofa and he lay on top of her, his steady weight so familiar and so assuring. It didn't take long for their clothes to be discarded and him to sink into her, their expressions in that moment mirror images of pleasure and ecstasy. His movement was slow, to begin with, they took their time enjoying the reunion and the reassurance of being back in the other's arms but soon the pace built and they could both feel the tension coiling in their bodies until with a shout and a moan, they fell over the edge and collapsed against each other, mouths pressing to skin and breathy moans mingling in the air. In that position, they both drifted into sleep. But just as Jenny was slipping off into the bliss of dreams, she thought she heard the faint ring of the bell on her banister and she couldn't help smiling at the thought, 'Another miracle, another angel gets it's wings.'

Christmas Day 2007

It was a few hours later Jenny awoke to a soft stroke along her abdomen and Jethro breathing into her hair which she noticed had fallen down out of the ponytail some time between him guiding her to the couch and laying her down on it, but she'd been so wrapped up in him she'd not noticed. As her eyes flickered open, she also realised they'd moved in their sleep, she was now spooned against Jethro, his chest a solid, warm mass behind her back. There was a blanket thrown over them that had been on the back of the couch and what with the warmth provided by it and Jethro, and the pleasantly satisfied feeling filling her, as if she wanted for nothing just then, Jenny saw no reason to move. She nudged her body a little further back into him and let a smile drift across her lips. She knew he was awake, and felt him lean over her to press a gentle, loving kiss to her cheek.

"Merry Christmas Jenny." He whispered as he drew back, and her eyes flicked over to the grandfather clock by the door, which did indeed confirm it was past midnight and Christmas Morning was close to dawning. The redhead tipped her head back and brushed her lips against his in reply. If she'd been at a more accommodating angle, she had no doubt it would have turned into something much more heavy, but he broke away when he realised how difficult it was. She thought he'd turn her around, so they could continue what she'd started, but he lifted the arm that had been laying along the arm of their makeshift bed and pointed towards the Christmas tree, a smug smile lifting his mouth. "Look." He said, very softly in her ear, and she followed the line of his finger to the shape of an emerald-coloured parcel sitting innocently under her tree.

"That wasn't there last night." Jenny stated, a frown crawling over her features before she twigged and turned to face her lover. "Jethro, how could you have put that there? You couldn't have left the couch, I would've woken up!" She questioned but he shook his head, lips tightly sealed. Like the mystery of his boat, it would never be revealed, she knew and she pouted a little in answer. He grinned back.

"Don't you want to know what it is?" Jethro asked, a twinkle in his eye because he knew she wouldn't be able to resist unwrapping it for long. She had always been impatient. But she surprised him; she shook her head and slid a hand down his body suggestively.

"Can't be any better than what I've got here." She replied, her voice low and once more filled with want, a mischievous light in her eyes as his pupils dilated rapidly. Threading a hand into her hair, he cupped her head and gently guided her mouth up to his, the need to see her loose control, to see her lips swollen from his kisses, her hair ruffled and disordered by his hands already building within him. She smirked a little as her mouth met his and knew she'd said the right thing. As they once more began to move towards each other, each caught flashes of future Christmases spent together, Josh and Sandy sitting on the floor by the tree and them curled together on the couch, and for the first time, both of them thought about having a small someone possibly sat with them, with his blue eyes and her red hair.


End file.
